The Boston Bruins lost their captain this summer, with Patrice Bergeron retiring after 19 seasons, but that didn’t stop the team from holding a ‘captains practice’ at Warrior Ice Arena on Tuesday as the first ‘official unofficial’ tune-up for the 2023-24 season.
BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston Bruins lost their captain this summer, with Patrice Bergeron retiring after 19 seasons, but that didn’t stop the team from holding a ‘captains practice’ at Warrior Ice Arena on Tuesday as the first ‘official unofficial’ tune-up for the 2023-24 season.
Bergeron’s longtime teammate Brad Marchand has experienced practicing without Bergeron whenever the latter was injured, but the 35-year-old winger felt a stark difference in No. 37’s absence on Tuesday.
“His presence around the room, in the gym and on the ice, you can’t replace that,” Marchand said. “It’ll be a lot different this year. You say that as we go on it might get a little more comfortable; it might be more difficult, you know, all those big moments where he normally steps up in control of things. It’ll be a little bit different.”
Marchand essentially came up through the NHL ranks with Bergeron, so for the younger players who joined the team when he was firmly entrenched as a leader, Bergeron's absence hits in a different way.
“It’s like your dad’s not here watching over you,” Charlie Coyle said. “When ‘Bergy’s’ here, it’s like, everything’s great. You’re all set, but we’re gonna miss those guys.”
With other veterans such as David Krejci, Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno leaving the team this offseason, newcomers such as James van Riemsdyk are looking to help fill that leadership void left behind in their own ways.
“Just having experience over the years and just trying to stay true to yourself, and just being a pro as far as doing the right things day in and day out,” van Reimsdyk said.
Along with Marchand and Coyle, returning Bruins present at Tuesday’s practice included Pavel Zacha, Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk, Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.
Marchand is now the longest-tenured player on the team and was already an alternate captain, making him one of the top candidates to wear the ‘C’ this season, but he’s less concerned about who the title will go to than those who will act as leaders.
“It’s a big honor to be in the leadership group of this organization,” Marchand said. “But we’ve always done it collectively as a group. So regardless of who wears it, it’s a collective thing. Even guys without letters step up a lot of times throughout the years. When you lose ‘Bergy’ and ‘Krej,’ it’s gotta come from a group, not one certain guy.”
